Got Long-Term Stubborn Pain?
The primary method used by Dr Jason Barritt (chiro) is a form of neuroplastic treatment called NSA care. It uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction
The primary method used by Jason and Bilal is a form of neuroplastic treatment, NSA care, which uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This typically results in a variety of systematic changes that include, improved mental focus, enhanced physical performance, a more resilient immune function as well as reduced overall symptoms.
The primary method used by Jason and Bilal is a form of neuroplastic treatment, NSA care, which uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This typically results in a variety of systematic changes that include, improved mental focus, enhanced physical performance, a more resilient immune function as well as reduced overall symptoms.
The primary method used by Jason and Bilal is a form of neuroplastic treatment, NSA care, which uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This typically results in a variety of systematic changes that include, improved mental focus, enhanced physical performance, a more resilient immune function as well as reduced overall symptoms.
In this study, which evaluated a population of over 2,800 patients under Network Care in the U.S., Australia and other countries, showed an increasing percentage of patients reporting progressively greater improvements in the areas assessed as a function of duration of care; that is, in the population studied, there was no"ceiling" to the results over time. The benefits reported were evident as early as 1 to 3 months under care and continued for those under care for as long as 3 plus years. Investigators concluded that "within the boundaries of this design, these findings provide substantial evidence that Network Care should be included among those practices with established health benefits."
The primary method used by Jason and Bilal is a form of neuroplastic treatment, NSA care, which uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This typically results in a variety of systematic changes that include, improved mental focus, enhanced physical performance, a more resilient immune function as well as reduced overall symptoms.
The primary method used by Jason and Bilal is a form of neuroplastic treatment, NSA care, which uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This typically results in a variety of systematic changes that include, improved mental focus, enhanced physical performance, a more resilient immune function as well as reduced overall symptoms.
The primary method used by Jason and Bilal is a form of neuroplastic treatment, NSA care, which uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system's capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This typically results in a variety of systematic changes that include, improved mental focus, enhanced physical performance, a more resilient immune function as well as reduced overall symptoms.
If you have spent more than a minute searching the internet for a chiropractor in Canberra, then you have probably already seen some discussion on the topic of "Best Chiropractor Canberra".
Before I thought about writing this article, a new patient told me he came to see me because I was number one on the internet list of "Best Chiropractors in Canberra". I laughed and said, "I didn't know there was such a list, and I don't know how I got there!" Then two weeks later, I was 15th on the list. I wonder how they decide who gets to be on that list :)
For me, the answer to that is easy: it's going to be different for everyone! And, it depends upon what you perceive to be your significant needs and what areas of expertise you think you want. For example, some chiropractors do a lot of further study in the field of sports injury, some in radiology, while others focus on paediatrics to name just a few areas of extra study.
What I hope you will gain by reading this article: I know how challenging it can be to figure out what profession you need in order to solve any specific health problem, and then to choose which individual in that profession may have the best solution for you. It's an important decision. In fact, I think it is more important than choosing a car or at times even more critical than which house to buy. As Ralf Waldo Emerson said, "The Greatest Wealth Is Health".
This article is designed to assist you in finding the best chiropractor in Canberra. I want to be clear with you that is NOT going to be me in every case. I think the 'best chiropractor' is the one which is the best fit for you. With this in mind, I hope you will find it helpful for me to outline the kinds of conditions that I am the most experienced and confident in helping people improve, and at times, even resolve. I will also point out some areas where other chiropractors in Canberra have more experience than I do in certain area of chiropractors care.
I asked two GPs, two company directors and a chiropractor to read this article before I published it. I wanted to see if they thought it could be helpful for the public. I also did not want to look like I am trying to say I am the "best chiropractor in Canberra".
None of those reviewers thought I was saying that. In fact, I was very pleased to hear one of the GPs say, and I paraphrase "This looks very useful. I wish I could find psychologists online that explain more about their areas of expertise. I'm currently looking for psychologists that will be the best fit for some of my patients".
Clinical experience matters: For many years now, an area of health care which I have felt a great deal of satisfaction for both myself and my patients, is assisting them with chronic pain and other long term symptoms in multiple areas of their body. The word chronic means it has been persisting for a long time or it constantly recurs. I have helped hundreds of people with chronic severe pain, including children and seniors. For example, Jesse came to me when he was at the age of 93 and had fallen from his roof while cleaning his gutters. I took care of him with chiropractic care until he was 101 years of age. I have treated numerous people with serious injuries similar to Jesse's. In fact, I found that I could make such a positive difference for people with injuries and gained so much experience in the area, that I travelled aournd the USA presenting seminars on the topic of "Injury Documentation" to other chiropractors. I also founded a company called Injury Documentation Consultants with an orthopaedic surgeon in Colorado.
Personal preferences: I arrived back in Canberra in 2008 after studying and then practising chiropractic for 18 years in the USA. After about two years, I was happy to hear a new patient say that his wife had asked some of her colleagues at work "Who would be the best chiropractor for my husband to see?" He told me that a couple of people suggested she send him to see me. That situation was a reminder to me about how very personal and challenging it is to find a new clinician of any kind when we don't already know one. We tend to ask other people, and they give us their opinions based upon their needs, their experience, and what they have heard. After that experience, I knew I wanted to create a way to help people have access to a no-obligation approach to find out if chiropractic might help them. I'll tell you more about that below.
My approach to the initial evaluation: I have been studying and practising chiropractic for over 30 years and developed my own approach to the initial evaluation of new patients. While some chiropractors can gather the information they feel is sufficient to safely and effectively help someone in just 10 to 20 minutes, my particular approach takes longer. One reason for this is because I have a lot of people come to me with long term stubborn and complex conditions. Therefore, I find it useful to take extra time to acquire a very detailed physical evaluation and initial symptom history. This does not mean I do every possible biomechanical, neurological and orthopaedic test. Still, it does mean I get a reasonably thorough understanding of how the body is, and is not working. Please see https://bodymindec.com.au/video-library for a video on "What To Expect On Your First Two Visits".
Please note, that video is not designed to be upbeat and super entertaining. I kept the tone gentle and quiet on purpose. This was so the video could be received more easily by people who have had pain dragging on for months or even years.
I've noticed that people in this predicament can be in very low spirits & need a quiet message. Three decades of working with people in severe chronic pain. I've been impressed by the way so many are able to continue to search for solutions rather than completely give up hope.
I also wanted that video to reflect the particularly gentle method of chiropractic that I use. NSA care is a low force method and for that reason, some people travel hours to Canberra in order to see me because they know they can request that I not use the traditional chiropractic adjustments with them. I have had people travel from Adelaide, Melbourne, Wagga, Young, Goulburn, the North Coast, South Coast and Sydney, specifically to receive NSA care from me. You may find it helpful to look here at some of the videos on my website that demonstrate NSA care.
Thousands of Australians find answers with chiropractic care: A lot of people find traditional chiropractic adjustments enjoyable and very beneficial. I do too. It is for these reasons that I use the traditional chiropractic adjustment method every day in my practice. However, I am well aware there are some people who know they need chiropractic care for their spine and overall health, yet prefer not to receive chiropractic adjustments. As a result, I have studied several low-force chiropractic methods which I offer as effective alternatives to traditional chiropractic adjustments. Usually, my first choice is NSA care which I discuss below.
My initial evaluation takes an hour, therefore I charge more than some other chiropractors in Canberra for the initial consultation. Most people appreciate that and see it as being thorough while others don't. Many people have told me how grateful and relieved they were to have received a detailed initial evaluation where they learned new things about their condition. However, some other patients are not as happy to spend an hour when all they wanted was a brief evaluation and adjustment. For them, that more brief approach had worked very well in the past with other chiropractors.
My perspective: There are other ways in which chiropractors can be different from each other. For example, some primarily seek to help people with their overall well-being and are less focused on symptom relief. This was my focus for the first few years of chiropractic practice well over 20 years ago. It is a valuable service to people who are seeking that approach. Other chiropractors have a broad range of conditions they feel confident in assisting people with, yet there are still others who choose to focus on certain specific issues such as food sensitivities. This is not one of my strong points! However, if you email me, I'll be happy to refer you to a chiropractor who has a good track record with that. There are chiropractors who have extra qualifications in areas such as chiropractic paediatrics, orthopaedics, radiology, functional neurology and/or ergonomics, to name a few. There have been times when I have referred my patients to chiropractors with expertise in those areas.
The above examples illustrate how different we all can be as chiropractors, and why I wanted to explain my approach to you here. I have found that each patient has their own needs and preferences. Therefore, to make informed decisions about finding a new chiropractor, I believe it’s best to do our homework.
A popular approach to health care: "Over 300,000 Australians visit a chiropractor every week. Chiropractors play an important role in the spinal healthcare of everyday Australians by using a variety of non-surgical techniques, such as specific spinal adjustments, manual therapy and low-force intervention.
Chiropractors offer a drug-free, hands-on approach to spinal healthcare." https://www.chiro.org.au accessed Feb 2020
Judge for your self: I have noticed it's easy for those who don't visit a chiropractor themselves to judge their friend or neighbour who goes regularly. Some of my patients, who have seen me once a month for years, tell me that people say things to them like "Bill you're going to the chiro again? Aren't you fixed yet?" I will share some research below on this topic, which I hope, will explain why people like Bill may have decided to continue with chiropractic care even after he had met his original goals for symptom reduction and/or health improvement.
What people like Bill have usually not told his neighbour, is the extent of his old injuries or spinal birth-defects or even his scoliosis? Bill may also experience ongoing physical and emotional stress which is being helped by chiropractic. Bill has probably not spelt out to his neighbour, exactly how his chiropractor is helping him to feel and function better with what we call maintenance care.
Maintenance care is when some people choose to continue with chiropractic, at a lesser frequency, after they have met their goals and want to maintain their new, improved level of health and well-being. This does not mean it will be the same for you. For example, while some of my patients see me regularly, many others have stopped care happily because they reached their goals and those results stayed with them. The choice will always be yours.
Research on chiropractic maintenance care: The following study of 311 chiropractic patients, aged 65 years and over, had received ‘maintenance chiropractic care’ for five years or longer. When compared with U.S. citizens of the same age, these chiropractic patients spent only 31% of the national average for health care services [69% savings]. They also had a 50% reduction in medical provider visits. The health habits of patients receiving maintenance care were better overall compared to the general population. For example, they had decreased use of cigarettes and decreased use of nonprescription drugs. Furthermore, 95.8% believed the chiropractic care to have been either “considerably” or “extremely” valuable.
R.L. Rupert et al. “Maintenance Care: Health Promotion Services Administered to US Chiropractic Patients,” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 10-19, 2000.
Safety of chiropractic is something people ask questions about. Therefore, I’d like to address this issue here. For example, “Chiropractic care has a very low risk profile, especially when compared with more invasive methods of spinal healthcare.” (https://www.chiro.org.au/chiropractic-faqs/ accessed Reb 2020). A common area of concern for people is the possibility of stroke after chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine.
The most recent data I can find on this is a 2015 study sponsored by the US Government’s National Institute of Health (NIH) and discussed on the NIH web site, with the title “Low Risk of Stroke After Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation in Older Patients With Neck Pain”. (https://bit.ly/37LSQq4 accessed Feb 2020)
Documentation and monitoring progress: In my initial comprehensive evaluation, I check 70 to 80 different functions before I offer the treatment. I measure the cervical and thoracolumbar range of motion, muscle tightness in many areas, posture, stiffness, as well as shoulder, arm, leg strength and more. All of these tests are indicators for "good" or "poor" ageing and tend to improve with the chiropractic care I provide. I then re-check all those functions again immediately after the first treatment. I can say with confidence, that I cannot remember the last time at least half of those functional tests did not improve when rechecked immediately after the very first treatment.
That result does not mean symptoms always improve on the first visit. Even though one of my primary goals is for symptoms to reduce as a result of improved function, most people need further chiropractic care before this can occur. Put another way, symptoms tend to diminish only after function improves and it can take a while for this to happen, especially if the problems have been present more then a few months or if there are other conditions present such as injury or arthritis. I believe, at first, its important to focus mainly upon how the body is functioning rather then just upon symptom reduction.
As part of the follow-up consultation, I give my patients a 16-page written report of findings that contain before and after range of motion pictures, along with documentation of other improvements that we can discuss.
Other options: I must admit, it did feel good to be labelled the 'best chiropractor in Canberra” (even if it was just for two weeks). However, there are many amazing chiropractors giving great care to people here in Canberra every day. Therefore, I'm sure they have some of their patients say the same thing about them. And, since there are so many good chiropractors in Canberra, and since there are numerous reasons for seeking treatment, there really can't be any one specific "Best Chiropractor in Canberra".
I have put that mindset into practice. For example, when one of my staff fell at the gym resulting in a serious injury, I referred her to another chiropractor who has a lot more experience helping people with acute injury. I referred her because I am most confident in the treatment of chronic symptoms and complex conditions, rather than the treatment of acute (i.e. very recent) injuries. I believe that I am most effective and experienced in helping people who have chronic sports injury rather than acute sports injuries. I am also most confident in being able to achieve higher label of satisfaction in people who have already had treatment for chronic pain and or other stubborn symptoms and have not yet returned to what they think could be their optimal level of health. By health, I mean the World Health Organisation's Definition which has not been amended since 1948, and states "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
Another example of my appreciation of the skills of other health care professionals here in Canberra, has been when my children have been injured playing sports. I would usually provide chiropractic care myself but there were times when we paid for them to see a chiropractor with extra qualifications in sports injuries. There were also times that we took them to a physiotherapist. We wanted what was best for them according to their needs at that time. All four of my children have received chiropractic care since the day they were born, and we have encouraged all of them to see other "Best Chiropractors in Canberra".
Experience in treating a wide range of injuries:
I have successfully helped many people with chronic sports injury and work injury treatment, as well as many dozens with car accident injury.
I have also helped people with serious fractures in the neck, back, hip, pelvis and ankles. I treated one person who had 13 broken bones from a high-speed head on collision. (BTW that was after these people were released from hospital.)
If you have chronic pain, it may be due to a car accident, work injury, repetitive injury, military service or an old sports injury. You may also have arthritic pain as a result of minor injuries from many years ago. Arthritic pain can also respond very well to chiropractic care. Chiropractors are trained to evaluate a wide range of injuries in order to determine if we are likely to be able to safely assist you or if we need to refer you to another health care provider.
Did you know that Workers Compensation, car accident insurance, Medicare, the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs (DVA) and even NDIS covers chiropractic care in some instances? Not all chiropractors are willing to work with all those third-party payors. Therefore, if that is important to you, then you may want to ask about this when you call to schedule your initial appointment.
Strongly neuroplastic treatments can, in some cases, provide very different results: I have now discussed injury cases. However, I have also seen hundreds of people who don't know the event that caused their pain and limitations because their symptoms did not start immediately after an obvious traumatic injury. This is called "insidious onset of symptoms". The powerful neuroplastic aspect of my treatment approach is quite often able to help people with insidious onset of symptoms, just as it can for those who have long term symptoms after a specific traumatic injury.
I believe the main reason why I have been able to help hundreds of people with long term stubborn pain, as well as other chronic conditions, is due to the chiropractic method I use called NSA care, which is a strongly neuroplastic treatment that has an extra focus on retraining the brain and nervous system in order to learn to make its own spinal corrections. Psychiatrist and researcher Norman Doidge MD, discusses neuroplasticity in his book called The Brain That Changes Itself.
Doidge has been on the ABC’s Q&A and several other Australian media programs. In chapter 5 of his book, he discusses cases where people have had a serious injury, gone through hospital rehab in the USA, yet still had many limitations and other symptoms that, many years later, were profoundly improved by what he identifies as various neuroplastic treatments. I highly recommend reading his book. (By the way, it's also available as an audio version.) Here is an interesting and balanced review of his book by The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/feb/08/norman-doidge-brain-healing-neuroplasticity-interview
Neuroplastic Treatments Are a Game Changer For Pain Reduction and Improved Functional Capacity
The following exert from Doidge's book serves as a fascinating introduction to the concept of neuroplasticity and our brain's capacity to improve the way our body is performing. “An astonishing new scientific discovery called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the adult human brain is fixed and unchanging. It is, instead, able to change its own structure and function, even into old age.”
Doidge “… travelled around the United States to meet the brilliant scientist championing neuroplasticity, and the people whose lives they’ve transformed – people whose mental limitations or brain damage were previously seen as unalterable, and whose conditions had long being dismissed as hopeless.”
There are many neuroplastic methods, and while results can never be guaranteed, if you have not yet tried a neuroplastic treatment approach that has worked well for you, then you may find a low-cost consultation with me very helpful. Please see more on that below.
Finding the right chiropractor for you: I believe finding the right chiropractor is all about needs, personal preferences, and even personalities. It's also about whether or not the chiropractor or other practitioner has the expertise and experience in the area you're seeking assistance. If you do your homework first and ask your questions, then you may be able to avoid feeling like a few people I've talked to, who said things to me like… I'm frustrated by my response to treatments from the last person who treated me, even though it really seemed to help Betty who referred me.
Profound negative changes to our nervous system after injury: Please remember from my discussion above, that injury can be due to a specific dramatic event or many small injury's over time, such as what can occur from poor posture or many micro strains occurring over time (AKA repetitive injury) .
I have noticed that one group of people who can make the greatest improvement from my care are those who have had multiple locations of severe pain (and/or other conditions) that have not yet improved to their satisfaction with treatment from a range of other treating providers. While I certainly don't manage to help everyone, when I see people with long term conditions such as chronic pain, scoliosis or cerebral palsy, it makes me more confident that their central nervous system and body have been profoundly modified by that injury or by an abnormal habit. Therefore, as Dr Doidge puts it, those changes are now likely to be deeply “hardwired” into their nervous system. This then helps me to feel more confident that, even though other methods may not have helped as much as the person had hoped for, they may still be able to respond well to a strongly neuroplastic treatment approach like the one I use. This is because one of my primary goals is to change my patient's “neurological hard-wiring" in ways that can help their body to heel more effectively.
Thirty years experience: I have been studying and/or practising neuroplastic treatment since 1990. One of my primary goals is to create a powerful neuroplastic healing response in the spine and body, in order to stimulate the development of new connections from the brain to the troubled parts of the body. I do this so the brain can better coordinate the healing process in these dysfunctional areas. Please see more on this here… https://bodymindec.com.au/chiro/neuroplastic-treatment Please also feel free to take a look at some other videos and articles I have created in the 'resources' section of our web site.
For further discussion on the topic of serious injury resulting in chronic (long term) pain or other symptoms, please see my article on car accident treatment here https://bodymindec.com.au/chiro/car-accident-injury
So, What Now? If you have chronic pain or other long-term conditions, I may be a good choice for you. To find out, I invite you to visit https://bodymindec.com.au/consultation-options so you can see how you can receive a low-cost initial consultation. This brief consultation does not include treatment. Instead, it is an opportunity to get your questions answered without any sense of obligation and at minimal cost so you can decide if my approach may be a good fit for your needs.
My wish for you: I think that the 'best chiropractor' is the one which is the best fit for you. As chiropractors, we bring our own life experience and knowledge, as well as our skills and interests to bear in what we offer.
Therefore, if you are not totally satisfied with the first chiropractor you see, my suggestion is to ask more questions and let him or her know exactly what you are looking for; you may be pleasantly surprised with the response.
However, if you are still not fully content, I recommend you keep looking. When you find the chiropractor that feels right for you, I hope he or she is able to help you to feel even more confident and motivated about improving your health.
I wish you well on your search for your "Best Chiropractor in Canberra".
Jason W. Barritt B.Sc (Hons) DC
Chiropractor
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In this study, which evaluated a population of over 2,800 patients under Network Care in the U.S., Australia and other countries, showed an increasing percentage of patients reporting progressively greater improvements in the areas assessed as a function of duration of care; that is, in the population studied, there was no"ceiling" to the results over time. The benefits reported were evident as early as 1 to 3 months under care and continued for those under care for as long as 3 plus years. Investigators concluded that "within the boundaries of this design, these findings provide substantial evidence that Network Care should be included among those practices with established health benefits."
Over the past 20 years of clinical practice, Dr. Jason Barritt has treated hundreds of people suffering whiplash and a wide variety of mild to severe symptoms that resulted from car accidents as well as work injuries. These injuries included mild to serious soft tissue injuries as well as spinal fractures and a broken pelvis in the chronic stage. Elsewhere on this website you can read about and watch videos describing the very gentle chiropractic method we use at the Body Mind Empowerment Centre called Network Spinal Analysis (NSA Care). Some people also refer to this chiropractic method as Network Care. People suffering the consequences of injury appreciate NSA Care because of its gentleness, safety and effectiveness.
I believe offering an initial low-cost consultation is of great value to people who have never been to a chiropractor and do not know what to expect. I have also found that it is beneficial for people who have tried many types of treatment and not had much success. These people are reluctant to invest their time and money into yet another approach without fully checking it out in order to feel more confident that it has a reasonable chance of helping.
Sometimes our world can be a pretty dangerous place; many of us have experienced a traumatic brush (or collision) with reality. Accidents may be unavoidable, but much of the resultant pain and suffering may, in many cases, be safely and gently addressed with chiropractic care. That is likely because many people who have experienced a trauma also have subluxations: structural spinal distortions causing nerve interference that can lead to many symptoms. Doctors of chiropractic focus on locating and correcting subluxations using safe, gentle, “adjustment” techniques.
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